By Lacy Baugher for Comedy on April 17th, 2013

Your First Look at Vicious with Sirs Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi

vicious screenshot.jpg
Some days you come across news about upcoming programming that literally makes the rest of your week better. This happens to me quite often with things like Sherlock or Downton Abbey, but this is one of the only times in memory that same sort of flaily excitement has come over me about a comedy. Which I suppose is okay, because just the existence of this comedy is that exciting.

British acting legends Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Derek Jacobi are joining forces to star in the gay sitcom Vicious for ITV. The comedy follows the lives of an elderly gay couple, as they (sarcastically) navigate their way into their golden years. Freddie (McKellen) and Stuart (Jacob) have lived together in the same Covent Garden apartment for nearly 50 years and apparently spend most of their time on what appears to be snarking at each other and just being generally awesome. (If I were going to make up a comedy for these two to be in together, I don’t know that my idea would look terribly different from this.)

Thus, imagine my intense joy upon learning that ITV has released the first trailer for Vicious. (Spoiler: I might have squealed.) 

McKellen and Jacobi are joined by Harry Potter’s Frances De La Tour as their best friend Violet and Misfits star Iwan Rheon as their new (young and kind ofdishy) upstairs neighbor Ash. Hijinks are certain to ensue and I cannot wait to see this.

Word online indicates that the comedy may get a late April or early May transmission in the UK. No word on whether Vicious has an American distributor lined up yet, but with talent like this attached (Lord of the Rings has made McKellen particularly beloved here in the US) one could be forgiven for hoping that it makes its way over here eventually. Fingers crossed.

I will still never stop wishing that they’d kept the original Vicious Old Queens title though.

Thoughts? 

 

By Lacy Baugher for Comedy on April 17th, 2013
Lacy Baugher

Lacy's love of British TV is embarrassingly extensive, but primarily centers around evangelizing all things Doctor Who, and watching as many period dramas as possible.

Digital media type by day, she also has a fairly useless degree in British medieval literature, and dearly loves to talk about dream poetry, liminality, and the medieval religious vision. (Sadly, that opportunity presents itself very infrequently.) York apologist, Ninth Doctor enthusiast, and unabashed Ravenclaw. Say hi on Threads or Blue Sky at @LacyMB. 

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